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Edgar Allen Poe: Complete Tales and Poems
One of history's most eccentric poets, Edgar Allen Poe's collection includes poems such as The Raven, The Black Cat, the Telltale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, and many more. From death to talking animals, Edgar Allen Poe has it all. Author: Edgar Allen Poe Publishers: New York, Sterling Pub Co. Reviews Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1995) An ambitious but not completely successful entry in the Poetry for Young People series (see Bolin, below). The format is admirable: a handsome sampler of poems, with a short introductory essay, unfamiliar words briefly defined in footnotes, and a few prefatory sentences for each poem to establish context and aid interpretation. Fittingly, 13 of Poe's more accessible poems appear here, including "The Raven," "The Bells," "Eldorado," and "Annabel Lee." The volume concludes with passages from short stories, laid out in lines like verse; they highlight Poe's mastery of prose, but, without context, are not otherwise particularly meaningful. A larger concern is the less-than-meticulous presentation of the poems. Readers confronting Poe's unfamiliar diction need all the help they can get; inaccurately reproduced are word choices, order, line layout, punctuation, etc. Bagert does not indicate which standard edition he used--there may not be one--but even a variorum (ed. by Floyd Stovall, 1965) did not support some questionable usages. In her first book, Cobleigh provides atmospheric art: an arresting picture of "The Raven," a cadaverous ghoul in "The Bells," and a depiction of the narrator of "The Tell-Tale Heart" as a deranged Wee Willy Winky. Index. 1995, Sterling, $14.95. © 1995 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. (PUBLISHER: Sterling Pub. Co. (New York:), PUBLISHED: c1995.) Turner Nicola Turner (Children's Literature) Poe once wrote that Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality. Poe s reality was one of tragedy and addiction--his poetry speaks to the darker side of human nature. Deserted by his father and orphaned at the age of three, Poe was taken in by the Allen family. Unfortunately, his relationship with the family was strained by his inability to live up to his benefactor s high standards and Poe entered adulthood in debt, disappointed and an alcoholic. The series Poetry for Young People hopes to capture the interest and imagination of this generation by making both poet and poetry come alive. Cobleigh s rich palette and haunting illustrations are the perfect pairing to Poe s often macabre poems and Bagert s short commentaries give the reader just enough insight to begin exploring the works on their own. Classics such as The Raven and A Dream Within a Dream are included here, but the last eight poems in the collection are unique. These are excerpts from Poe s prose that the editor believes can stand alone as examples of Poe s poetic genius. Bagert asks the reader to forgive his tinkering . Yet I can only imagine that having been given such a wonderful introduction to this great writer, readers will want to explore more of his works. 2008, Sterling Publishing Co, $6.95. Ages 9 up. (PUBLISHER: Sterling (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2008 c1995.) http://www.clcd.com/#/bookdetail/1/0/oiMnmnnrlnJokplm/bdrtop Activities For some reading activities, the Poe Museum has compiled an entire workbook for your convenience! Visit the link below to start working! https://www.poemuseum.org/docs/TeacherPacket10-23-12.pdf Other Links Edgar Allen Poe Museum: https://www.poemuseum.org/life.php Edgar Allen Poe's collection of short stories and poem: http://www.poestories.com/